Polyethylene is a thermoplastic commodity heavily used in consumer products where over 60M tons are produced worldwide every year. Polyethylene is made from the monomer ethene and can be produced through radical polymerization, anionic polymerization, and cationic polymerization. This is because ethene does not have any substituent groups which influence the stability of the propagation head of the polymer. Each of these methods results in a different type of polyethylene.
Because of its flexibility at low temperatures, excellent electrical resistance and low dielectric constant, Polyethylene is unique. PE's self-lubricating properties also make it ideal for applications such as rollers, skids and other end-uses which call for a non-stick, low-friction material. PE is available in a wide range of densities and formulations. Polyethylene is resistant to water, acids, alkalies, and most solvents. Its many applications include films or sheets for packaging, shower curtains, unbreakable bottles, pipes, pails, drinking glasses, and insulation for wire and cable.
The ubiquitous use of PE in industry makes it a prime material candidate for a variety of applications where the PE comprises some or all of a surface. One of the drawbacks to using PE as surface is that materials that bind to PE are specific and lack flexibility as binding agents. So for example where a new coating for PE is desired, a new search for a PE binding molecule with the desired property must be conducted. The resulting search is costly in both time and resources and not guaranteed to be successful. A system that is flexible and can be easily tailored for a variety of materials to be bound to PE is needed. The use of peptides as linkers or binders to PE offers some potential in this regard.
Peptides having a binding affinity to polymer and plastic surfaces are known. For example, Adey et al., (Gene 156:27-31 (1995)) describe peptides that bind to polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride surfaces. Additionally, peptides that bind to polyurethane (Murray et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0098524), polyethylene terephthalate (O'Brien et al., copending and commonly owned U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0054752), and polystyrene, polyurethane, polycarbonate, and nylon (Grinstaff et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0185870) have been reported.
There remains a need therefore for a peptide based reagent that binds PE that offers flexibility in bring a wide variety of materials to the PE surface with minimum investment in redesign. Applicants have solved the stated problem by providing peptide reagents comprising PE binding peptides (PEBP). The PE binding peptides of the invention may be modified with other functional or binding peptides allowing for the delivery of benefit agents to the PE surface or for the use of the reagents to adhere PE containing surfaces.